Vocabulary Workshop Level F Unit 10-12

accrue

(v) to grow or accumulate over time; to happen as a natural result. SYN: collect, accumulate, proceed from. ANT: dwindle, decrease, diminish, lessen

annotation

(n) a critical or explanatory note or comment, especially for a literary work

bedlam

(n) a state or scene of uproar and confusion. SYN: commotion, pandemonium, chaos, anarchy. ANT: peace and quiet, order, tranquility

covert

(adj) hidden, disguised, purposefully kept secret; sheltered, secluded; (n) a sheltered place, a hiding place. SYN: undercover, clandestine, sub-rosa. ANT: open, overt, undisguised

debonair

(adj) pleasant, courteous, lighthearted; smooth and polished in manner and appearance. SYN: carefree, jaunty, gracious, suave, urbane. ANT: distraught, agitated, boorish, churlish

dun

(v) To demand insistently, especially in payment of a debt; (n) A creditor; (adj.) Dark, dull, drab, dingy. SYN: hound, pester, harass, nag

efficacious

(adj) effective, producing results. SYN: effectual, efficient, potent, powerful. ANT: ineffective, worthless, useless

equanimity

(n) calmness, composure, refusal to panic. SYN: tranquility, imperturbability. ANT: excitability, flappability, agitation

fortuitous

(adj) accidental, occurring by a happy chance. SYN: unintentional, unplanned, random, lucky. ANT: intentional, deliberate, premeditated

gist

(n) the essential part, main point, or essence. SYN: substance, core, nucleus

gratuitous

(adj) freely given; not called for by circumstances, unwarranted. SYN: voluntary, unjustified, uncalled-for. ANT: justified, warranted

imperious

(adj) overbearing, arrogant; seeking to dominate; pressing, compelling. SYN: domineering, magisterial, urgent, imperative. ANT: fawning, obsequious, humble, unassuming

invective

(n) a strong denunciation or condemnation; abusive language; (adj) abusive, vituperative. SYN: vituperation, abuse, diatribe, philippic. ANT: tribute, panegyric, encomium

motley

(adj) showing great variety; composed of different elements or many colors; (n) a jester's costume; a jester. SYN: variegated, heterogeneous, diverse, fool. ANT: uniform, homogenous, monochromatic

munificent

(adj) extremely generous, lavish. SYN: bounteous, liberal. ANT: stingy, miserly, tightfisted, parsimonious

procrastinate

(v) to delay, put off until later. SYN: stall, temporize, dillydally

provocative

(adj) tending to produce a strong feeling or response; arousing desire or appetite; irritating, annoying. SYN: stimulating, arousing, vexing, galling. ANT: dull, insipid, bland, unstimulating

recondite

(adj) exceeding ordinary knowledge and understanding. SYN: esoteric, arcane, profound, abstruse. ANT: simple, uncomplicated

reprobate

(n) a depraved, vicious, or unprincipled person, scoundrel; (adj) wicked, corrupt, or unprincipled; (v) to disapprove of, condemn. SYN: scoundrel, blackguard, immoral, corrupt. ANT: saint, upright, virtuous, moral

sedentary

(adj) characterized by or calling for continued sitting; remaining in one place. SYN: seated, stationary, static. ANT: active, peripatetic, migratory

abstemious

(adj) moderate, sparing; characterized by abstinence and self-discipline. SYN: temperate, sober, moderate. ANT: indulgent, immoderate, intemperate

censurable

(adj) deserving of blame or correction. SYN: blameworthy, discreditable, reprehensible. ANT: commendable, laudable, meritorious

contingent

(adj) likely but not certain to happen, possible; dependent on uncertain events or conditions; happening by chance; (n) a representative group forming part of a larger body. SYN: conditional, dependent, a detachment. ANT: independent of, unconnected with,

corroborate

(v) to confirm, make more certain, bolster, substantiate, verify. ANT: refute, contradict, undermine, discredit

denizen

(n) an inhabitant, resident; one who frequents a place. SYN: resident, dweller, habitue. ANT: alien, outsider, stranger, foreigner

discursive

(adj) passing aimlessly from one place or subject to another, rambling, roving, nomadic. SYN: digressive, diffuse, wandering, episodic. ANT: short and to the point, succinct

disseminate

(v) to scatter or spread widely. SYN: disperse, publicize, broadcast, circulate. ANT: bring together, concentrate, muster, conceal, hide

dowdy

(adj) poorly dressed, shabby; lacking smartness and good taste. SYN: frumpy, tacky, frowsy, drab. ANT: chic, stylish, elegant, fashionable

florid

(adj) highly colored, reddish; excessively ornate, overdecorated, showy. SYN: flushed, ruddy, flowery, frilly, flamboyant. ANT: pale, ashen, pallid, sallow, austere, stark

foist

(v) to impose by fraud, to pass off as worth or genuine, to bring about by stealth, dishonesty, or coercion. SYN: pass off, palm off, fob off

gauche

(adj) awkward, lacking in social graces, tactless, clumsy. SYN: inept, uncouth, maladroit. ANT: adroit, tactful, diplomatic, politic

heresy

(n) an opinion different from accepted belief, the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred. SYN: unorthodox belief, heterodoxy. ANT: orthodoxy

inculcate

(v) to impress on the mind by repetition, teach persistently and earnestly. SYN: instill, implant, infuse, ingrain, imbue. ANT: efface, extirpate, root out

palpable

(adj) capable of being touched or felt, easily seen, heard, or recognized. SYN: tangible, plain, obvious, manifest. ANT: intangible, insubstantial, incorporeal

perceptive

(adj) having sympathetic insight or understanding, capable of keen appreciation. SYN: insightful, discerning, observant. ANT: dense, thick, obtuse, dim-witted

pernicious

(adj) extremely harmful, deadly, fatal. SYN: injurious, deleterious, baleful, noxious. ANT: harmless, innocuous, salutary, salubrious

salient

(adj) leaping, jumping, springing forth, prominent, standing out, conspicuous; (n) a land form that projects upwards or outwards. SYN: striking, notable, protrusive, obvious. ANT: inconspicuous, recessive

satiate

(v) to satisfy completely, fill to excess; (adj) full or satisfied. SYN: gratify, cloy, surfeit, gorge. ANT: starve, deprive entirely of

sear

(v) to make or become dry or withered, to char or scorch the surface of, to harden or make unfeeling

specious

(adj) deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit. SYN: deceptively, plausible, sophistic, casuistic. ANT: valid, sound, solid, genuine

absolve

(v) to clear from blame, responsibility, guilt. SYN: acquit, exonerate, vindicate, excuse, pardon. ANT: condemn, convict, incriminate, inculpate

caricature

(n) a representation in which the subject's characteristic features are deliberately exaggerated; (V) to present someone of something in a deliberately distorted way. SYN: cartoon, burlesque, parody, lampoon

clangor

(n) a loud ringing sound; (v) to make a loud, ringing noise. SYN: din, clamor, uproar. ANT: silence, stillness, peace and quiet

contiguous

(adj) side by side, touching, near, adjacent in time. SYN: adjoining, abutting, next door to. ANT: detached, apart, distant, remote

cupidity

(n) an eager desire for something, greed. SYN: avarice, rapacity, craving, lust. ANT: helpful, beneficial, harmless, innocuous

deleterious

(adj) harmful, injurious. SYN: detrimental, destructive, pernicious, damaging. ANT: helpful, beneficial, harmless, innocuous

enhance

(v) to raise to a higher degrees, to increase the value or desirability of. SYN: fascinate, enchant, attract, bewitch. ANT: bore to tears, repel, put someone off

enthrall

(v) to enslave, imprison, captivate, charm, hold spellbound. SYN: fascinate, enchant, attract, bewitch. ANT: bore to tears, repel, put someone off

extenuate

(v) to lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses. SYN: moderate, mitigate, diminish, downplay. ANT: intensify, aggravate, worsen, exacerbate

implicit

(adj) implied, understood though unexpressed, without doubts or reservations, potentially contained in. SYN: inferred, tacit, unspoken, unconditional. ANT: explicit, expressed, stated, revealed

incisive

(adj) sharp, keen, penetrating. SYN: acute, cutting, perceptive, trenchant

ostentatious

(adj) marked by conspicuous or pretentious display. SYN: flashy, overdone, affected, flamboyant. ANT: modest, plain, simple, demure, retiring

paragon

(n) a model of excellence or perfection. SYN: exemplar, ideal, paradigm, model, good example

paraphrase

(v) to restate in other words; (n) a statement that presents a given idea in a new language. SYN: reword, rephrase, a rendition, version. ANT: repeat verbatim, duplicate, quote

politic

(adj) prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed, artful, expedient. SYN: tactful, diplomatic, judicious, circumspect. ANT: unwise, injudicious, imprudent, rash

prosaic

(adj) dull, ordinary, lacking in distinction or originality. SYN: commonplace, humdrum, literal, pedestrian. ANT: remarkable, distinctive, poetic, inspired

redundant

(adj) extra, excess, more than is needed, wordy or repetitive, profuse, lush. SYN:unnecessary, superfluous, verbose, prolix. ANT: succinct, terse, laconic, scarce, inadequate

sanctimonious

(adj) making a show of virtue or righteousness, hypocritically moralistic or pious. ANT: heartfelt, sincere, humble

scintillating

(adj) sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant. SYN: stimulating, lively, glittering, flashing. ANT: dull, boring, insipid, flat, tame, vapid

winsome

(adj) charming, attractive, pleasing in a way suggesting childlike charm or innocence. SYN: winning, engaging, delightful, prepossessing. ANT: unattractive, unappealing, repulsive